Thread-knotting mechanism for knitting machines



Aug. 27, 192 9. w. LARKIN THREAD KNOTTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 10. '1926 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 /99 64 4 7 t J /0 8 42 4 /o/ 5 7:

W. LARKIN Aug. 27, 1929.

Filed March 10, 1926 13Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 27, 1929. w. LARKIN 1,726,396

THREAD KNOTTING MECHANISM-FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 10, 1926 l5 Sheets-Sheet 4 W 64 mza 75/ /26 Aug. 27, 1929. w. LARKIN THREAD KNO'ITING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March .10, 1926 l Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 27, 1929.

' w. LARKIN THREAD KNOTTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 10. 1926 15 Sheets-Sheet 6v Aug. 27, 1929. I w, LARKIN 1,726,396 I THREAD KNOTTINGMECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES l3 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed March 10, 1926 Aug. 27, 1929. w. LARKlN THREAD KNOTTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES l5 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed March 10, 1926 W. LARKIN G MACHINES 1 Sheets-Sheet ll Aug.27,1929.

THREAD KNOTTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTIN Filed March 1.0, 1926 Walla/ dqkfingsk W. LARKIN vAug. 27, 1929.

THREAD KNOTTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 10, 1926 13 Sheets-Sheet '12 Aug. 27, 1929. w. LARKIN THREAD KNO'ITING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES File d March 10. 1926 13 Sheets-Sheet 1s Patented Aug; 27, 1929.

JUNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

- WALTER LARKIN, or NonnIs'r'owN, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNon. 'ro FIDELITY MA- CHINE COMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- SYL'VANIA. r

A lication filed Mai-ch10, 1926. Serial No. 93,726.

This invention relates to mechanism for delivering, to the needles of a knitting machine, a continuous single thread formed of separate lengths ,of threads of various colors, for the purpose of forming stripes in the fabric being knitted.

The principal object of the invention 1s to construct the knotting mechanism of the device, in a manner to successfully tie a knot in the adjacent ends of silk threads, hithertoconsidered impractical.

It will be understood that the device is capable of selecting the desired thread from a series of different threads maintained in a given position by the device, tying it to the running thread while the knitting machine is in operation, cuttin the running thread adjacent the knot an returnlng it to its normal inactive position, the selecting and tying of the threads being controlled by pattern mechanism operable by the drivingmechanism of the knitting machine.

Other advantages and the detailed construction of the invention will be fully disclosed hereinafter; being clearly illustrated f in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing my invention as applied to a circular knltting being broken away;

machine; c

Fig.2 is a sideelevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; v c

. Fig; 3 is a front elevation on a vlarger scale than Figs. 1 and 2 illustrating in their normal positions the main parts of the attachment constituting my invention;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig.- 3, a portion of the frame Fig. 5 is a plan vi ting device and certain mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a .front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan viewof the knotter detached from the machine;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the knotter as shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the knotter with the cover plate removed;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section of the knotter taken along the line 10, 10, Fig. 7;

Figs. 11 and 12 are diagrammatic plan ew illustrating the knot of its. associated and elevational views respectivel THREAD-KNOTTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Figs. 15 and 16 are views similar to Figs.

13 and 14 respectively showing the elements in an intermediate active position during the knottingoperation;

Figs. 17 to 25 inclusive are perspective views illustrating the actual knot tying operation and Figs. 26 and 27 aresectional views taken on the line 2, z of Fig. 25 illustrating the method of snubbing the threads to be tied.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the above drawings, 1 represents a portion of the frame of a Well known form of circular knitting machine,

which in the case illustrated, is of the dogv less dial type, described and claimed in my U. S. Patent No. 1,433,384, dated October 24, 1922. The upper part of said frame 1 carriesa circular bed plate 2 providing a. bearing for a rotary cam ring 3 and su ports a stationary needle cylinder 4. Said ed plate also carries posts 5 supporting a yoke 6 which serves to carry and hold from rotation a dial post 7 on whose lower end is mounted the dial of the knitting machine. The cylinder cam ring 3 likewise carries a pair of posts 8 supporting a. yoke 9 which serves to supportand drive a dial cam ring 10 Thecam ring 3 is driven through ear- 1 ing (not shown) mounted within a c osed casing 11 and driving a horizontal shaftl2 journaled in hearings in the frame 1. This I I shaft has fixed to its free end a cylindrical enlargement 13 whose outer face has a crank pin 14 on which is mounted a pawlv 15, for

engaging and intermittently turning afpat-I.

tern wheel 16 which governs the operation of the knitting machine; The frame 1 has fastened to it a bracket providing a bearing 17 for acountershaft 18, which has fixed to its outer end a s rocket wheel 19, in the present instance liaving its teeth formed with'tw'o series of radial notches 20 for the reception ofthe tw o runs of a pattern chain 21 whereby the operation of my invention 1s controlled. The shaft 18 I also carries a .1 l 1 ratchet wheel 22 engaged bya hooked pawl 23 forming part of or attached to the strap 24 of an eccentric 25 on the driven shaft 12.

The rotation of this shaft through the pawl 23 and ratchet wheel22, intermittently turns the sprocket wheel 19 and the pattern chain thereon- That portion of the frame 1 on which the pattern wheel 16 ismounted, has pivoted to it a selector lever 26 which includes an arm carrying a roller'27 (Fig. 2) positioned to brought under the roller 27 by the rotation of the sprocket wheel 19, the lever 26 is turned onits pivot or fulcrum 28 through corresponding angles, The free end of this lever 26, through a link 29,'is connected to one arm of a bell crank lever :30 acted .on by a spring 31 to at all times draw said lever 26 f andv hence its roller 27, toward the pattern chain 21.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the machine has a bracket orplate 32. projecting hOllzontally for thesupport of a vertically extendingpost 33-on which is mounted a casing 34 containing. part ofv the'stopmotion mechanism. Said bracket also carries a vertically extending rod 35 projecting consider-- ably above the topof the machine and carrying at its upper end a second casing 36 in ivoted one end of a projecting.

which .is yarn gui ing finger. 37. This latter also forms part of the-stop mechanism of the machine and actuates said mechanism when drawn downwardly beyond a predetermined point. The mechanism in the casing 34, is controlled by a movable arm having a series of parallel fingers 39 positioned to coact with a stationary grid 40, the arrangement being such that fingers and grid are maintained substantially parallel-and immediately ad- 'acent each other under operating conditions y the length of yarn passing between them and running through the eye carried by the finger 37 down to the knitting mechanism. 'In the event of breakage of the yarn the arm with the fingers 39 is released and its fall from the position shown causes operation of the stop motion.

In accordance with my invention, I utilize the lower portions of the posts or rods 33 and- Y 35 to support a frame 41 which may he held.

thereto in any desired or suitable manner and to which is fulcrumed the bell .crank lever 30.- For. ,fthis purpose, I rotatably mount in said frame a spindle 42 on which 1 said-lever is journaled. This spindle within thefr'amealso has mounted upon it a beveled gear 43 whoseteeth mesh with those of a beveled pinion 45 formed integral with a sleeve 45, rotatably mounted on a fixed spindle 46, (Fig, 6) whose inner end is fixed in any suitable manner to and carried by the frame 41. e outer end of the sleeve '45 has formed integral with it a radially -projecting arm 47 serving to support a yarn carrier which has-the form of a segment 44 concentric with respect to the sleeve 45*. The face of the segment 44,adjacent its for- Ward or advance end, is in the form of a groove cut back on an angle from its outer periphery to the base thereof, to form a wide throat for receiving a selected thread and carrying it forward and upward, for purposes hereinafter set forth.

To the rear of and parallel with the shaft '42, the frame 41 carries a fixed rod 48 '(Figs.

5 and -6) on which are pivoted any" desired number, in the present instance four, yarn guide fingers 49, 50, 51 and 52.- Each of these consists of an elongatedbar extending downwardly and forwardlv from the rod 48 and'having its lower end curved forwardly and upwardly, each bar" being perforated-" be depressed from its normal elevated posi;

tion to a lowered position by a selector 56 a which is rotatably as well. as longitudinallymovable on the spindle 42 and which-has a width slightly less than that of any one of r the various fingers. i For rotating this selector, the beveledgear 43 has fixedin and projecting laterally'from. it a pin 57 which extends through a suitable opening in said selector so that the latter .is necessarily rotated with said gear regardless of its distance from the sameor of its position upon. the shaft 42. Said selector'has a projectinghub 58- formed with an annularrecess for the'reception' of an arm 59, fixed on a selector rod 60 slidably guided in por-. tions of the frame 41. One end of thisrod has a projecting pin fil oper'ative in a slot' 62 formed in the selector cam'63 which is fixed to and moves with the bell crank lever 30.

With this arrangement of parts, the swinging of said lever 30 on the shaftf'42 moves the selector cam 63- concentrically with said. shaft and causes the iwall of the cam slot 62 to co-operate with the pin 61 to move the selector rod 60 longitudinally to an extent de endent upon the arc of movement of said hell crank lever. The parts are so arranged that when the pin 61-is in its normal position at the lower end of the cam groove 62, theselector rod 60 with the arm 59 holds the selector 56 in a vertical plane including the extreme right hand yarn guidg fi g 49. If new the gear 43be turned, 13a

Y the frame 41. 'Any one'ofsaid fingers may the consequent rotation of said selector by rotated.

in 57 will cause this particular yarn by varying the arc of movement of the bell crank lever. 30, the selector cam 63 may be caused to act on the selector 56 to position it in the plane of 'any one of the other yarn guides 50, 51 and 52. As'previously noted thebell crank lever 30 is actuated through the lever 26 and the bar 29 from the differ-- out high links of the pattern chain 21.

. immediately abovethe sleeve 45 of the beveled pinion 45 I mount the knotting and shearing device 64 which comprises a casing 164 suitably secured on the frame 41. Suitably secured within the casing 164 is a bearing block 165 provided with a vertically disposed cylindrical opening 166 adapted toreceive an operating spindle 167.

Disposed horizontally and atfright angles to the opening 166 and at either side thereof is abearing aperture 168 and 169. The bearing opening 168 is suitably bushed as .at 170 for the reception of a rotatable knot tying spindle 171. Rotatably mounted Iwith-r in the bearing opening 169 is the hub 172 of'an eccentric ring 178. Intermediate the hub 172 and eccentric ring 173 and integrally formed therewith is a gear wheel 174 adapted to a counterbored opening 175 in the bearing block 165. The outside face of the gear 174 lies in a plane flush with the face of the bearing block, wherein a re-. taining screw 176 is positioned in a manner whereby its head overhangs the opening 17 5 and the gear 174,.thereby retaining the said hub 172, eccentric ring 173 and gear 174 within the said bearing block. is apertured at 17 7 to provide clearance for the head of the screw 176 when the ring is The teeth of the gear .wheel 174 mesh with the teeth 178 formed on 'a'plate gear 179 which is secured to a flange 180.integrally formed on the operatin spindle 167 of the knotting and shearing evice.

The plate giar 179 1s provided witha second series of teeth 181 adapted to engage a series of gear teeth 182 formed on one end of the knot tying spindle 171. The opposite end of the knot tying spindle 171 extends through an axially aligned opening formed in the hub 172 of the eccentric ring 173,

passage of the spindle 171 therethrough and also to permit a relative oscillation of the spindle 167 around the spindle 171. The

spindle 171 is provided with an annular groove 184 in axial alignment" with 1 the,

centre of rotation of the spindle 167 for the reception of a reduced plain end of are. tainingscrew 185 which is axially aligned The ring 173 with a-second screw 186 threaded intoand axially aligned with the spindle 167, from the opposite end thereof.

The end of spindle 171 adjacent the eccentric-ring 173 is provided with ahooked ,end 187 which forms a fixed element of a snubbing clamp which is ada ted to grip the adjacent ends'of the lengt s of thread which are to be tied together. A second fixed element in. the form of a thin plate 188 is positioned'adjacent the hook 187 and.

is of a similar outline thereto; whilea third fixed element 189 of similar outline is pro vided to function as a fixed shear blade, one edge thereof being beveled for that purpose. r Positioned intermediate the fixed elements 187, 188 and 189 and pivoted thereto at 190 is a pair of cooperating movable elements 191 and 192. The movable element 191 lies 193, opposite its hooked end, which is located within the eccentric ring 173 and in co-operation therewith functions to operate the movable snubbing and shearing elements 191 and 192 in a manner hereinafter set forth.

The casing 164 is shouldered at 194 for the reception of a cover plate 195 which is frictionally secured in place by meansof a pair .of clamp screws196, 196, tapped into the vertical wall ofsaid casing.

Secured to the under side of the cover plate 195 is a cam 197 adapted to receive a cam roller 198 rotatably mounted on a ,longitudinally between a air. of blades 211),

200 which lies above an below the blade 199. The blades200, 200 are apertured to receive the vertical spindle 167 and fit within an opening 201 in a flange 202 on the upper surface of the .plate "gear 179 for the purpose of co-operative, oscillation with said plate gear. i p

The blade 199 is likewise adapted to oscillate with the plate gear 179 and clamp blades 200, 200 and in addition thereto to receive a longitudinal movement relative to said blades, a slot 203 being provided thereon to permit such movement around the spindle 167.

The blades or figures 199 and 200, 200 are provided with notches 204 and 205 respectively and the walls of said slots are adapted to co-operatively engage the threads being tied, as will be more fully described herein-' aifter. The fingers are adapted to pass over the knotting, snubbing and shearing blades 50 ter to their normal positions the arm 73is and move in a horizontal plane thereabove from one side to the other of-said knotting blades. v

The movable elements of the snubbing clamp and the clamp blades are actuated by the spindle 167 which extends vertically through the knotter and has fixed to its upper i end an operating arm 68. For oscillating the arm 68 to operate the knotting and cutting blades, I provide a pin 70 projecting from said arm and engaged by one end of an arm 71- (Figs. 4 and 5) whose opposite end is fixed to a vertical spindle 72 j ournaled in suitable bearings in the frame 41. Thisvertical spindle has fixed to its lower por tion a pair of' arm s .73 and 73 carrying replaceable shoes which project toward the cylinder cam ring'3.

For the purpose of periodically actuating this arm Y73 and hence the tying, snubbing' and cutting hooked blades 187-192, and the gripping blades 199 and 200, Imount on the cylindercam ring 3 or other rotary part of the machine. in timed relation with said ring, a cam 74 (Figs. 11 and.12) and while this cam would-ordinarily engage the arm 73 at each revolution'of the cylinder, I prevent su'ch engagement except when desired by making the'spindle 72 vertically .slidable in its bearings so that said arm is normally held at a level above that of said cam74'. For this purpose, I fix to said spindle 72 a third arm. 75 which rests on the selector pin 57, and make the under face of said arm substantially horizontal or arallel with the pin 57 so that it engages w th the selec- 9 tor pin regardless of its position relativelyto the yarn guiding fingers 49, etc.. Normally said selector-pin holds the arm 7 5 and with 40' it the arm 73 in a raised position so that the latter can not be engaged by the cam;

74 on the cylindercam ring. en however, the selector 56 is rotated todepress one of the yarn guiding fingers 49- -52, said arm 73 is likewise loweredand it maybe engaged by the cam 74 so that the spindle-72 will beturnedto operate the knotting device at the next rotation of the said cylinder, cam ring. j

i In order to return the elements of the knot-' engaged by a cam '74? secured to the cam ring 3, at a point diametrically opposite the cam 74, the cam 74" engaging thearm 73* and moving' the spindle 72 in an opposite direction. 1

- For actuating the. beveled gear 43 and its associated parts atsuch times only as their ii Il.

action is desired, I fix to the driving shaft 12 an eccentric 76 having mounted thereon a strap connected through a rod 77 with a lever arm 78 on aspindle 79 carried by the bracket 32. Said lever includes an arm 7.7 and a tooth 80, designed to be engaged by 'a'spring actuated pawl81 ivoted to-a second lever 82 on the spindle 9, so as to transmit mo- 195 and the inner edge of said plate is toothed tion from said first lever 78 to said second lever. The latter includes also an arm in which a set screw 82 is adjustably mounted in position to" be engaged by the arm 77 a to positively move the lever 82 in a .direction opposite to that in which it is moved through the ,paWl 81. A controller cam 83 connected to a third lever84, also rotatably carried by the spindle 79, normally holds. the pawl 81 in such a raised position that the oscillation of the lever 78 by the rod. 77 can not affect it or the lever 82. This third lever through a link 85, is connected to the bell cranklever30, and the arrangement is such that whenthe latter is turned from its normal position by any one of the high linksof the pattern chain 21, the controller cam 83 is thereby turned into a position to permit the pawl 81 m0ving into engagement with the tooth 80, thus causingthe arm 82-to be moved at the next forward movement of the lever arm. The arm 82 through ,a link 86, is connected to a pin 87 on the beveled gear 43 so that the latter may be turned by said arm through such an arc as will cause turning ofthe pinion 45 and of the segment 44 through an angle of somewhat more than 180.

For holding the ends of any three of the yarns w, m, y, and 2 while the-fourth is being delivered to the knitting machine, I provide a. flat segmental shield 88 mounted on a. block 89 held by: a screw 90 to the fixed stud 46 on which is carried-the sleeve 45. The curved periphery of this shield is concentric with the carrier segment 44 and on theleft side of its center it has fixed to itsv front facea second block 91 on the front of which a pair of superposed angular guide. plates 92'and 93 is held by suitable means such as the screws 94. The inner one of these twov plates hasa downwardly curved guide lip 95 at whose inner end is I a yarnireceiving recess 96 and its top otherwise flat face .is grooved; or serrated to facilitate holding the yarn or thread thereto. .The outer guide .plate 92 has a second yarn guiding lip'97 extending horizontally over-and substantially parallel with the lip or notched as indicated at 98-to assist in holding the several yarn ends from movement as hereinafter described. In addition I provide this plate with a notch or, recess 98*.for holding and guiding a thread "'atqzocertain times during operation'o f my inven- Above and spaced away from the top of the lip. 97 is a forked or notched guide plate,

99 projecting upwardly at an acute'angle to 1 25 the horizontal and held in position by. a screw 100. Th'e'cnotch of this third guide plate and the recesses 96 and 98*of the two members .93 and 92 are. arranged .one above the other and all above the top and inner edge of a guard plate 101 held in place by v mounted on a screw 104 set in the block 91 and having its free end distant from said screw inclined. A spring 105 mounted on said screw 104 is operative on this holder to force its inclined end toward.the adjacent flat-face of the shield 88, so that one or more,

ends of yarn extending vertically between the shield andv guard plate and upwardly through the recesses96 and 98? at the inner ends of the guide lips 95 and 97, will he gripped and temporarily held from dropping down. a a

.For frictionall-y holding the ends of the yarns not being fed, I-c0nnect to the lower- .end of the spindle 167 of the 'knotter 64v a laterally projecting hooked arm-106 (Fig. 6) having one edge serrated and designed to operate between the horizontal portions of the angle plates 93and '92 and to fIIlCtlOII- all y coact with the roughened top face of the former to tightly grip and normally hold from movement the yarn ends engaged therebetween. This arm 106 o erates in timed relation with the blades 0 the knotte'r being designed to'move toward the free ends of the lips 95 and 97 and after the tying of a knot and the severing of the lengths of yarn, to quickly return to aposi-' tion frictionally gripping the yarn endsagainst the roughened top face of the plate- 93. A plain arm 106*, similar in outline to the arm 106v but having .a straight edge rather than a toothed edge, is secured to the spindle 167 adjacent the arm 106 and thereabove, its outer end lying on'the top surface a of the yarn holder 103 for a purpose here inafter set forth.

WVith the above described arrangement of parts,-I preferably extend the rod 33 downwardly below the bracket 32 and mount thereon any suitable form of holder or carrier for a plurality of bobbins or spools of yarn, of which there are four in the machine illustrated. From said bobbins, four yarns w, 00, y, a, lead respectively through suitable openings in the arms of a yarn guiding spider 112 mounted on the post "33, from whence they pass to the eyes of .the yarn guiding fingers 49, 50, 51 and 52. From the first of these fingers the yarn'w, for example, normally passes upwardly over the rear face of the shield 88, thence through an opening in a guide plate 111, between'the grid 40 and finger 39, through the eye of the stopmotion yarn sweep 37 and down to the knitting machine proper. There is thus formed between the elements 39-40 and the knitting machine cylinder an elongated loop of yarn'which may be shortened or elongated, by reason. of the ability-of the finger 37 to swing vertically. p I

The ends of the three other yarns w, y, 2, pass between the shield 88 and the relatively narrow neck portion 101 of the guide late 101, thence between the upper part 0 the shield 88 and the inner edge of the springactuated holding finger 103, through, the

notch I 96 of the angle plate 93 and are gripped between the roughened top surface of the latter and the hooked arm 106 which projects from the spindle 167 of the knot ting device.

The several parts of the machine now occupy the relative positions illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4-, so that the knitting machine will knit' ribbed fabric from the yarn rw',

which, for example, may be blue. If it be assumed that the next to the lowest of the elevated links 21*. of the'pattern chain 21 is brought, by the intermittent turning of the sprocket w 1861 19, into engagement with the supporting stud'28throu h an an le depending on the height 0? said lin thus through the rod 29. .turnin the lever 30 to a corresponding extent. 'I iis movement of said lever, through the link swings the roller 27, then the lever 26 is swung on its controller cam 83 in a counter clockwise direction "so that the pawl 81 under the action 7 of its springis movedin front of the tooth 80 (Fig. 4), as this is drawn to .the rear by the action of the eccentric 76 transmitted through the rod 77. At the same time, the above movement of the lever 30 with. its selector cam 63 causesthe pin ,61 to be moved into a position adjacent, the lower part of the cam groove 62, with the result that the rod 60 is moved longitudinally toward the" i left, carrying with it the selector arm 59 and moving the selector 56 into a vertical plane including the yarn guiding finger 50. It

will be understoodthat prior to the above described action and throughout the entire operation of my attachment as subsequently set forth, the knitting machine is in full operation, so that the shaft 12 is continuously turned and with it" the eccentric 76 thereon. This eccentric is so set that after the rearward movement of the controller cam 83 above described, said eccentric moves outwardly the bar 77 and with it the tooth 80 so that through the pawl '81 the arm 82 is swung upwardly thus raising the link 86. Such upward movement of said link turns the beveled gear 43 and with it the selector 56 in such a direction as to turn the pinion 45 and carrier ring segment 44 in a counter clockwise direction, at the same time dropping the arm 75.

The turning of the selector 56 depresses the yarn guiding finger".5 )f' into the position indicated in Figs. 13 and 144"" in which the yarn end m passing therethrough is drawn down so that the portion thereof leadin from said finger lies directly in the path the angular end of the carrier. segment 44,

shortly after this begins its movement from the normal position shown in Fig. 3. As before noted, the yarn w which is being fed to the knitting machine, runs from'its guide 49 backwardly and upwardly tothe lower edge of the shield 88, sothat'as the yarn m is carried by the segment 44 into the position shown in Figs. 13 and 14, it crosses and engages said yarn or drawin it to the right toward and finally off of point of the right hand end of said shield. The tension of the yarn to causes it thereafter to pass in a straight line upwardly between theshield 88 and the guard 101 (Figs. 15 and '16).

Y In the "meantime, the continued rotation of the carrier segment 44 draws the yarn m from its bobbin and lays it in the groove of said segment as the recessed end 44 thereof swings the end portion of said yarn about its held extremity as a center, until finally the 'yarn w immediately below the knot catcher plate 111-, is also-engaged and caused to enter said recess44 of the carrier segment. .The' two runs of yarn w and w are now carried together from the positions indicated in Figs. 13 and 14 to the position shown in Figs. 15 and 16back of the lips or tongues 95'and 97 into the recesses 96 and 98 and also against the face 99 of the guide 99 being drawn to the left into the angle of and over the hooks 187 1.88 and 189 of the knotter, the point 102 of the plate 101 acting to guide the said threads positively into such, position. During the above described move-\ ment of the two yarns the yarn w runs be tween the shield 88 and the guard plate 101 and the yarn w is carried to the back face of the shield 88 and as the segment 44 con- 44? thereof and is engaged by a point 195" tinues to move toward the left over the top, the yarn a: hangs down from the rear edge protruding, from the plate 195 of the knotter 64, into the path of the yarn, to absorb any slack which may be in the yarn due to the rotation of the said segment past the horizontal plane of its centre of rotation.

' I .As the machine continues to operate, the

, of the knotting and cutting device 64 in a counter clockwise direction as viewed from cam 74 carried by the cylinder .cam ring comes into'engagement with the arm 73, which has been dropped into its-horizontal plane of movement by the lowering of the arin 75 by the selectorpin 57 so that said arm 73 with the vertical shaft 72 is turned, thereby swinging the arm 71 and through the arm 68, turning the central spindle 167 above. This-causes the yarn gripping fingers 499-200 to move-toward the parallel yarns w and m (Fig. 17) which areso positioned that they enter the notches 204 and 205 in said fingers. At the same time the snubbing, knotting and'shea'ring fblades 187-192 be- 1 gin to rotate in acounterclockwise direction (Fig. 18) and in view'of their angular form and inclined setting relative to the" two lengths of yarn, their extremities move across the latter forming them into a loop around the necks'of said blades, (Figs. 19

and20) by thetime they. have completed a half revolution. During the continuedro afingers 199 and 200 and the rotational move ment of the blades 187192 is under the direct control of the spindle 167 and plate gear 179, which also controls the eccentric ring 173, rotating it in' a direction opposite to' that of the spindle 171 for the purpose of accelerating the opening and closing move ments of the movable blades 191 and 192.

It will be understood that the above described rotation of the knotter blades stops the feed of the yarn w momentarily, but none the less the knitting machine continues to 8 operate, since it-takes up the'yarn in the long loop between the falling finger 39 and the needle cylinder, the sweep arm 37 gradually swinging down as the loop is'decreasedin size by reason of the yarn being drawn into the machine. i

Asthe hooked arm'106 swings to the right its forward curved edge slides past the two threads'w and w which being in the recesses 96 and 98 areheld by the walls thereof from likewise being drawn out of position toward the right. During the upward turning of the knotter blades,"their ends separate or open so that by the time they havemoved into the substantially horizontal position shownin Fig. 21, the double run of the two yarns w and w enters between the fixed blades 187, 188 and 189 and the two movable blades 191 and 192 being properly po- 1 sitioned for this. purpose by the innermost point. of the edge99 of the element 99. The continued movement of the holding fingers 199 and 200 toward the right causes the loop of yarn around the knotting blade-s to bedrawn from their necks toward their points, Fig. 22, which gradually move together until just after the fixed blades-187,

188 and the movable blades 191 frictionaliy grip or snub the yarns thereby securely hold-e ing the, yarn against slipping, the blades 189 and '192 finally sever them as shown in Fig. 7

. severed yarn ends.

loop in the yarn are thus frictionally held the continued movement to the right of the holding fingers 199 and 200 draws saidloop off of said blades, thus forming and pulling '54. j

. The turning of the sprocket wheel 19 has tight a knot as indicated in Fig. 24. Mter the completion of the knot, the continued rotation, in. opposite. directions, .ofthe spindle 1'71 and the eccentric ring 173 00- operate to open the blades 187.192 to release the tied yarns immediately and also to move the finger 199 outwardly to release the yarns from the co o'pcrating notches 204, 205 in the fingers 199 and 200. y I

In the meantime, the other pair'of severed yarn ends as well as the ends y and 2 are frictionallyheld between the finger '103 and the adjacent face of the shield 88, while the hooked arm 106 is moved intothe position at the extreme right side and beyond the The high linkof the chain 21 moves from under the roller 27 of the arm 26 and the bell crank lever 30'with the selector cam 63 are returned to their 'normal position. The segment 44 and the selector 56 are likewise returned to their? normal positions, thereby raising. the spindle 72 and arm 7 5 thereon into'a-position to 'be engaged by the cam 74 whereby the ele-. ments of the knotter are forcibly moved to the left and into their normal positions.

-- With them the holding finger 106 and the sweep,arm 106 likewise suddenly move to the left and the .hooked end and toothed edge of the arm 106 and the plain edge'of' the arm 106 engage the t-wo'loose-yarn'ends ...which project above the top of plate '92 and the yarn holder 103, feeding the short onev of said-ends toward a chute130by tliearm .sweep" arm 37 of the stop motion-to move.

' The release 'bythe fingers l99- '200'of the 106 and carrying theother endacross, by the tied ends of the yarns w and w permits the upwardly to its normal position to take up any slackin said yarn and the knitting machine is now fed by the yarn a: which has been laid by the carrier segment 44, back of the arm of the latter and against the sleeve 45" thereof to-the back face of theshield 88 as shown in Figs. 15 and 16 to prevent said yarn from entering between the guard plate 101 and the shield 88 whereit might engage and draw upwardly with it one or more of the other yarns. 1 I,

It is to be understood that when the parts occupy the positions indicated in Figs. 15 and25, the carrier segment 44 begins its return movement in a clockwise direction as the link86'is drawn down by the action of the eccentric 7 6 transmitted through rod 77 turn the arm 82 with the gear43 and sleeve yarn finger 50 is permitted to move to its upper'po sition under the action of its spring now moved the chain 21 sufiiciently to cause the roller 27 to pass off of its actuating link I 21, whereupon the spring 31 turns the lever "30 in a clockwise direction, swinging the controller cam '83 under the pawl 81 so as toprevent.further'movement ofthe arm 82, I

even though the rotation of the eccentric 76 reciprocates the rod 77. At the same time the movement of the cai'n'63 with the lever 30 returns the selector rod 60 toward the so i ' right to its extreme position in the plane of the yarnguiding finger '49, where the selec tor pin 57 maintains the arm 7 in the'raised position necessary. to hold up the vertical shaft 72 with the arnr73 above the planeof rotation of the cam 74 on the cylinder cam ring-3 and the arm 73 on said spindle in a said cam ring.

The machine will now knit any required position to be engaged by the cam 74 on.

number of courses to form a transversestripe of definite color on the fabric being knitted, whosewidth will depend upon the' .numbenof low links in the pattern chain 21 before another high link is brought into en'- gagement with the roller 27, as above ex-.

.plained. When this again occurs, the above described cycleofoperations is repeated and if it be assumed that the yarn guiding finger- 51 is depressed, then the'yarn a of another color is fed through said .finger and will be knotted tothe running yarn which has been previously fed through the finger 50 and a differently colored stripe will be be addedto the yarn yin a-manner above A/fabric may be produced iii the above described manner" aving, in the present instance, four difi' rent colors arranged in stripes of anydesired width or order of sue;

cession depending upon the manner in whichthe various. high and low links of the pattern-chain21 may be assembled.

knitted into the fabric, a fourth color 2 may It is to be noted that when yarn is being f fed-from thefinger 52 at the extreme left hand end of the series and it is desiredto change, tie or connect it to some other yarn, themovement of the end of this latter yarn by the carrier segment 44 naturally cannot engage the yarn e to draw it from behind the shield 88 to a position between the latter v and the guard plate 101: as is required in order that the above operations may be carried out ,as described. I, therefore, mount on the'arm 47 of the carrier segment 44, a

projecting tongue 120' which as said seg-- ment turns, moves in a circular arc immediately outside of the circularly curved edge 

